October 2007 Archives

This great piece of pork reporting from Deroy Murdock at National Review has me fuming.  The bottom line, you ask yourself?  A national average of $322 per family of our tax dollars go to farm subsidies.  And these millionaires and dead people cash the checks and keep the money.

Ask anyone who knows me:  I am not a class envy, get-the-rich type of person.  I would like very much to be rich someday.  However, with all this "help" the federal government gives us in the money management department (NOT!), it would appear that we might never get there.

And once again, I ask the question:  if corruption, graft, fraud, and downright laziness and incompetence are the hallmarks of yet another government program, why on earth would I want these same people at the USDuh to electronically monitor my livestock?  And for Health and Human Services to provide and pay for my "healthcare" and that of my children?

No thank you. 

 

 

 

In this installment of the renovation update I thought I would introduce the crew along with the latest pictures.  First of all, the team of guys working on the project have done an outstanding job so far.  The care and craftsmanship is first rate - they are a pretty fun bunch of guys too.  Pictured left to right in the photo is JT (Jeremy), Bill, Tim and Booger. (Looks a bit like the cover of a Foghat album, don't you think?) 

JT is quiet but seems to be the joker of the team and in return JT gets a lot of ribbing.  I've suggested that he complain to the HR department that doesn't exist.  Bill is also pretty quiet and does a pretty good job of swinging a hammer.  The hammer skills were not always there, according to the boss, but once Bill watched the video called "My Stanley and ME" things have really improved.  Tim Middlebrooks in the black shirt is the boss.  Tim is an expert fiddle player in a band called Steve Middlebrooks and The Sleepin Hounds. Booger is on the far right and also a partner in the firm.  Booger can make the skill saw seem simple to use.  I'm really not sure what Booger's real name is but he seems to like the nickname.  The obvious question is:  Does "booger" relate to the term "boogered it up"? ... so far the answer has been no.  Booger enjoys hunting and offroading.  I hope to find out Booger's real name before the project ends -  if you want to take a guess and are correct you will win a gallon of Burns Best Farm Blueberries this summer.  My guess is Elmer.  Leave your guess in the comments below. 

The construction team works well together and usually get a lot done in a days work.  They start every day at sunrise and are usually gone by late lunch.    The crew photo and pictures follow.  Adios for now!

 

I thought I'd interrupt the construction updates with some more important photos.  Denise went in for a Dr. Visit this week and the family got to join along and witness a four dimensional ultrasound.  Once we got "baby girl" Burns to move her arm (and thumb) out of the way we got some great images.  We are blessed with three wonderful boys and we are excited about how God is knitting this beautiful girl as part of our family!  - Mike

 Denise promised some additional pitures today and I've included a few.  Today the crew pulled the old ugly stairs away from the house.  I'm not sure how much the stairs weighed but I would estimate thousands of pounds.  It took a loader and a strong truck to move them out.  That was about all ..

 

We appear to have a porch attached to the backside of our house!  And this was even taken yesterday, before the roof was completed.  Today's off-campus activities precluded me from taking the latest photos.  But it's beginning to feel like there's a room outside the window you see pictured there in the middle.  That window will be coming out and in it's place will be a sliding glass door, through which we'll be able to access the new screened porch.  Just in time for fall weather! 

The kitchen cabinets were all removed yesterday morning as well.  The refrigerator was moved downstairs almost two weeks ago, and now that the cabinets are gone, I'm really getting excited about the new kitchen we've been dreaming about for months.  I cannot wait to start cooking in it!  The boys are getting nostalgic for the food I "used to cook in Marietta".  So you can imagine how bad the food prep-and-service has been here for the last seven months if the boys are looking forward to the upgrade......

Mike is currently smoking a couple of pork butts on the Big Green Egg for our construction team.  Evidently they've been quizzing him about The Egg and what it will do.  Best to show them the goods, and pork bbq is pretty much the claim to fame for our Egg, anyway.  I'm sure other folks create other magic with it. 

More updated photos tomorrow.